Take the Digital Plunge and Make an ASCII Aquarium - Hackster.io

TL;DR

Kert Gartner created a digital ASCII aquarium that runs on the Cheap Yellow Display (CYD), a touchscreen development board featuring a 320x240 display. Unlike traditional aquariums, this project requires no maintenance, allowing users to enjoy animated fish and sea creatures without the hassle of cleaning or feeding. The aquarium is powered by an ESP32 microcontroller, which renders the fish live on the screen, making them swim, school, and chase floating food flakes when you tap the display.

Why This Was Curated

The article presents a creative project that combines software development with hardware through the use of an ESP32 microcontroller, making it highly relevant for software developers interested in embedded systems. It is approachable and offers a fun, hands-on project that encourages experimentation and customization, though it could benefit from more detailed instructions or a deeper exploration of the underlying technology.